Construction Ceases Upon Lockdown
Construction on the country’s largest infrastructure project, Auckland’s City Rail Link, has once again halted in light of the recent COVID-19 lockdown.
New Zealand entered another Alert Level 4 lockdown from 11:59pm on Tuesday 17 August, at which time an immediate priority was placed on ensuring the safety of our people and the security of our sites.
“Our construction sites look very different now compared with the lockdown periods last year”, said CRL Chief Executive Dr Sean Sweeney.
“We are using a lot of heavy machinery to build the stations and tunnels. We will make sure that appropriate measures are put in place to keep each site and the surrounding areas safe for our teams and for our neighbours.”
Although the tools may be down – many of the project’s non-construction staff are still able to work from home to keep the fires burning behind the scenes, readying the project for a swift start up once lockdown restrictions ease.
Construction will restart swiftly in Level 3, with increased health and safety measures focusing on signing in, physical distancing, education, and hygiene. The sheer size and scale of the project and its workforce means it has a key role to play in the country’s economic stimulus, post Covid-19.
Not all machines have been turned off and tucked away for the lockdown, however. The project’s mechanical star – the Dame Whina Cooper continues pushing forward, albeit at a reduced rate, to avoid the risk of getting stuck.
“TBMs are not designed to be ‘parked’ underground for an open-ended period – they need to keep moving forward, even at reduced capacity, to avoid the risk of getting stuck,” said Dr Sweeney.
“We are not planning to continue full-scale mining – the TBM will be working at a much lower level than full capacity. We will be operating on a ‘do minimum/as necessary’ basis that falls within the parameters of this month’s Covid-19 Public Health Response Order. “
A small crew of critical workers have been supporting the running of this machine while underground and on the surface. This includes operation of the TBM’s water treatment plant and running the overland conveyor belt which transports spoil from the TBM and across site into the spoil basin shed.
“Our priority will be to keep our workers safe – they will be working under strict health and safety guidelines. Our neighbour is being kept informed of our actions.”
On behalf of the City Rail Link (CRL) team, we hope you and your bubble are staying safe and warm this lockdown. Kia kaha.
If you would like to get in touch with the team, please contact 0800 CRL TALK (0800 275 8255) or email info@cityraillink.govt.nz.
If you have a question relating to a specific area, please email the following:
Britomart Station – britomart@linkalliance.co.nz
Aotea Station – aotea@linkalliance.co.nz
Karangahape – karangahape@linkalliance.co.nz
Mt Eden - mteden@linkalliance.co.nz
The best place to find the latest information about the COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is on the Government’s COVID-19 website at covid19.govt.nz.